D&D (2024) How will the 2024 rules do with monster resistances to P/B/S

[ECMO3]

I only did a quick google, because I didn't want to run down to my car, but... if what I saw online for 6th level monks is correct, it's not that their blows aren't magical - Empowered Strikes lets the monk choose to do either Force damage or their normal damage type.

Force damage would bypass the whole P/S/B issue

Correction: According to this D&D Beyond article, it's level 5 - https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/1758-2024-monk-vs-2014-monk-whats-new

Edit: To quote directly from the article: "

Empowered Strike — Level 5​

With this new version of Ki-Empowered Strike, you can change the damage type of your Unarmed Strikes to Force damage. Handy for getting around those resistances"

Yes, this is not specific to the Monk though and more monsters are resistant or immune to Force than are resistant to magical bludgeoning, so this is actually a slight nerf.

The issue is more for other martials, especially Rogues and Fighters that have no other damage options. Getting a magic sword used to be the way to bypass this common damage resistance or immunity.

If large numbers of monsters are now resistant or immune to ALL PBS then high level Fighters and Rogues will be MUCH weaker in combat compared to casters then they were under the old rules, despite all the mechanical buffs.

 

[FrogReaver]

Well there’s one more stealth nerf to martials. While casters barely care.

 

[ECMO3]

[citation needed]

Treantmonk talks about it in this video at about time 17:00

 

[mellored]

They just remove the "non-magical" part.

Slimes might just be resistance/immune to bludgeoning, and Fighters will need to bring a backup weapon.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Meh, magic weapons will probably deal force damage or another elemental damage type, much like the beastmaster's beast attack or monk unarmed strikes or the high CR monsters that used to have the old "attack count as magical yadayada" in their attacks description.

In 2024, Force = penetrating/almighty/piercing/non-elemental magic damage (pick your favorite JRPG nomenclature).

 

[ECMO3]

They just remove the "non-magical" part.

Slimes might just be resistance/immune to bludgeoning, and Fighters will need to bring a backup weapon.

I think where this will potentially be a problem are ghosts, wraiths, devils and the like.

 

[ECMO3]

Meh, magic weapons will probably deal force damage or another elemental damage type, much like the beastmaster's beast attack or monk unarmed strikes or the high CR monsters that used to have the old "attack count as magical yadayada" in their attacks description.

In 2024, Force = penetrating/almighty/piercing/non-elemental magic damage (pick your favorite JRPG nomenclature).

This might be the case and would be a fix mechanically, but that is a pretty big shift.

And on the flip side this will nerf feats like Crusher, Piercer etc.

This also seems rather gimmicky ... ok we are going to do away with the idea of magic slashing but all the magic swords now do Force damage instead.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

This might be the case and would be a fix mechanically, but that is a pretty big shift.

And on the flip side this will nerf feats like Crusher, Piercer etc.

This also seems rather gimmicky ... ok we are going to do away with the idea of magic slashing but all the magic swords now do Force damage instead.

Can't disagree here.

Unless you create a new thing like Force (magical) or Force (slashing) etc

 

[mellored]

I think where this will potentially be a problem are ghosts, wraiths, devils and the like.

I doubt there will be many, if any, that are immune to all 3. Maybe a few that are resistant to all 3, but you're allowed to be weak against certain creatures.

I also hope there will be more that are vulnerable to different damage types as well.

 

[Oofta]

Well there’s one more stealth nerf to martials. While casters barely care.

If it's true. Which we don't know with any certainty.